The job market being less than awesome is very well-known in podiatry. Sorry you're experiencing it firsthand now. Everyone thinks they'll be different, but the saturation is real.
The lack of many MDs and hospitals to distinguish an ABFAS qual/cert DPM who can do triples and pilons well versus a DPM who only does C&C and basic forefoot stuff is quite real. The high saturation in any area when compared to any MD specialist or generalist is very real (although nowhere near chiro or pharma... so "it could always be worse").
...so, those are the problems. Those are the reasons new schools and seats without enough good residencies for the existing grads are inane. However, the
solutions are basically these (depending on how far along in training one is):
In pod school:
-get the best residency training you can, have the most skills, be flexible on location if need be
-it helps to do a residency with a good name and/or good connections... but some newer ones have good training too
-fellowship is financially sketchy and almost 100% worthless unless you missed training/connections in residency... you'll still face the same job market in the end (and it will be very hard to get a good name/training fellowship if you didn't have a name/training residency already)
In residency graduation and job search:
-pass all of the appropriate boards, keep all avenues open
-be FLEXIBLE on location (especially early in your career!)
-as mentioned, CREATE jobs... call hospitals for the physician recruiter in HR, call offices for the office manager, use connections, etc
-tap your network... most jobs - esp PP - are never advertised or only within a finite network. A lot of hospital jobs listed are already decided.
-do NOT get attached to finding the perfect first job... for most, it'll always be a learning exp but statistically, the first gig won't last very long
-get accustomed to being fairly frugal and investing some (Roth at minimum)... don't start living "doctor lifestyle," or you can expect major turbulence. Hint = a financially competent partner will make things much smoother. You don't have to partner with someone with a trust fund or an ortho or ophtho job, but if you partner with someone who works $20/hr jobs or who wants to only live in a certain city
and you expect big lifestyle and/or to be solo breadwinner as a DPM, that can really crash and burn. Realistic expectations are the foundation in life. If you and your partner want to go the SAH route, it's not impossible, but you reeeally have to plan it well on a typical DPM income + debt load. and they'll have to understand they need to be seriously flexible on location. "Help my elderly parents"? It should be the other way around; they've had many boom economies and maybe even pension in their career while you've had multiple market crashes and bigtime inflation of tuition and everything else also. It's your $, though.
During and after training:
-passing ABFAS qual and eventually cert will open many doors... whether we like it or not, it's an easy screening tool for many jobs that get far more apps than they can possibly filter otherwise. It basically just shows them you did a half-decent residency and that you do those cases fairly well.
-stay light on your feet... buying a house, going into big debt, attaching to an area can end badly when employed (or even when owner). Not only can you lose that job, but you aren't able to easily pivot or relocate to a better situation/job/opportunity which may come available to you. Avoid financial ties and most other anchors early on... easier said than done, but nonetheless 100% advisable.
-realize the best job for doc A is
not same for doc B... hospital job vs owner/solo vs PP/MSG/ortho associate vs govt job can all fit best for various DPMs and personalities... one's trash is another's treasure. I don't think nursing home is best for anyone with 3yr residency, but I'm sure it is for someone.
-consider it
all as a learning experience... investing and saving % and being fairly frugal is how you will create wealth at any income level, but any job is just how you continue to learn. Jobs come and go; their quality ebbs and flows. Admins and economies and competition, etc are subject to winds of change.
-get a high quality CFP (hourly), read investing books and educate yourself, find a good CPA, make a plan. It could just be indexing, could be more elaborate... need to make a plan and stick to it with regular contributions, high savings % rate. That is how you retire or how you weather the tough times in terms of career or overall economy... and how you maintain wealth in retirement also.
-be easy to work with and a good communicator (I probably pick up more new pt refers by being likable in doc lounge/meetings and by my patients telling friends than by passing out glossy before/afters of perfect Lapidus or ankle ORIF)
-find mentors, all throughout your career... really helps to stay engaged, positive... even people you envy have characteristics that got them to where they are, so learn from them also. Happiness is an inside job.
GL
